Former Chief Justice David Maraga has strongly criticised the alleged issuance of a Kenyan passport to Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, the younger brother of Sudanese militia leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, warning that the move could plunge Kenya into a serious diplomatic and constitutional crisis if confirmed.
Musa is a senior logistics operative within Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and is currently under sanctions by the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the European Union over his alleged role in atrocities committed during Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
In a statement issued on Thursday, February 26, Maraga described the reported development as “alarming,” saying it risks undermining Kenya’s neutrality in the Sudan war and could expose the country to international censure.
“This disclosure, highlighted by international and local media, not only undermines Kenya’s asserted neutrality in Sudan’s civil war but also exposes potential complicity in enabling atrocities, including the assault on El Fasher that United Nations experts have described as bearing the hallmarks of genocide,” Maraga said.
The former Chief Justice, who is also a 2027 presidential hopeful, warned that if the allegations are proven, the matter would point to a deep constitutional failure within the state’s immigration and security systems.
Maraga further cautioned that the alleged issuance of the passport could damage Kenya’s credibility as a regional peace broker under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, where Nairobi has historically played a central mediation role.
“Such actions erode trust in Kenya’s role as a regional mediator under the IGAD framework and risk tarnishing our nation’s international standing, potentially leading to degraded passport credibility globally,” he stated.
He stressed that Kenyan citizenship and travel documents should never be issued casually, noting that a passport is a symbol of sovereignty, legal responsibility, and constitutional order.
“A passport is not just a travel document; it is the State’s declaration that the bearer is one of us, bound to our Constitution, protected by our laws, and accountable to our institutions,” Maraga said.
Calling for swift action, Maraga urged the government to immediately revoke the passport if it was indeed issued and demanded thorough investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to establish whether immigration officials or senior state actors were involved.
He also appealed to Kenyans, policymakers, and the international community to insist on accountability, warning that the country’s reputation, sovereignty, and diplomatic standing were at stake.
The allegations emerge amid heightened scrutiny of Kenya’s engagement in Sudan, where the government has faced claims from Sudanese authorities that Nairobi has hosted individuals linked to the RSF accusations Kenya has firmly denied.
Addressing the issue earlier this year, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi dismissed suggestions that Kenya was facilitating parallel political structures for Sudan.
“It is important at this juncture to reiterate that no parallel government for Sudan was formed in Nairobi. Kenya abhors the balkanization of sovereign states and supports a unified Sudan for the people of the Sudan,” Mudavadi said on April 8, 2025.
He added that meetings held in Nairobi were inclusive and aimed at peace-building, not factional interests.
“Notably, the Nairobi meeting was not an RSF-only conference; there were more than 24 political and civilian organizations reflecting the wide diversity and hunger for peace in the Sudan beyond a contestation between the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF,” he said.
As pressure mounts, the unfolding controversy is expected to test Kenya’s diplomatic posture, the integrity of its immigration systems, and its long-standing role as a neutral mediator in regional conflicts.
